Her Majesty Chose Violence, They Chose Her

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: You Reap What You Sow

The Emperor sent Xiao Lv to the Ministry of Personnel to monitor its operations full-time, leaving them no opportunity for deception.

Xiao Lan and Xiao Cheng were assigned minor official posts. They held no real power and had little to do, but everyone knew they were the Emperor’s eyes.

They held a roster, and with just a few strokes of a brush, they could decide the fates of a whole group of people. It was a power comparable to King Yama’s Book of Life and Death.

Feng Xian had just been placed in the Ministry of Personnel’s Examination Department by the Regent King. Funnily enough, he hadn’t even warmed his seat before he was plunged into a level of work he’d never experienced before. He spent all day poring over files until he felt sick, his brush practically smoking from overuse.

He didn’t have to worry about not having real power. Every stroke of his brush was now binding; he had never wielded more authority.

Besides, he didn’t have to bother managing relationships with his colleagues, because his colleagues today were never the same as yesterday.

Feng Xian had always wanted to enter the political arena and make his mark, and he had prepared himself for any hardship or obstacle.

But this particular hardship wasn’t what he had imagined.

With the new year approaching, the Ministry of Personnel was already busy. Now, with the Emperor’s decree, the entire ministry was scrambling like ants on a hot pan.

After ten consecutive days of work, he nearly died at his desk. Fortunately, the Regent King sent a man to summon him, finally giving him a moment’s respite.

Even Rong Yin was shocked when he saw the state Feng Xian was in. "What happened to you?"

The last time he’d seen Feng Xian was half a month ago. He had been slender back then, but healthy and full of vigor. Now, he was nothing but skin and bones, with sunken eyes and a pallid, ashen face, looking as if his life force had been drained away.

"Are you ill?"

Feng Xian waved it off. "It’s nothing, I’m just exhausted."

He picked up a teacup and gulped down a large mouthful. As he set it down, his hand trembled so much the cup nearly fell.

He managed to snatch it back and place it on the table. With a sigh of pure misery, he said, "If you hadn’t summoned me, I was planning to come find you. The Emperor is making an example of the Ministry of Personnel; aren’t you going to do anything to stop it? The ministry is in total chaos. A massive reshuffling of all officials is bound to happen next. This could turn into a disaster."

Rong Yin, however, was not worried. "If this had happened three months ago, there would definitely be trouble, but things are different now."

"His Majesty wants to consolidate power; that’s inevitable. While this was all rather sudden, it was the perfect way to catch those people off guard."

Feng Xian: "..."

’Are you sure it’s just "those people" who were caught off guard? She caught *everyone* off guard, and I’m one of the biggest victims!’

"By the way, Meng Xuechen is coming back soon. Are you still planning to have him join the Ministry of Revenue?"

Rong Yin replied, "I will bring him to see Her Majesty. It will be her decision whether to employ him."

-----

Xiao Yang had thought that by creating trouble for the Ministry of Personnel and all the other officials, she would be able to relax. Evidently, she had celebrated too soon.

The number of courtesy memorials dwindled, as did the empty pleasantries.

But... an endless stream of memorials and files from the Ministry of Personnel began pouring in, along with petitions and objections from every quarter regarding the matter.

They took up half the space in the Imperial Study Room.

The moment she pushed open the door, she saw several mountains of documents that had seemingly sprung from the floor, each pile taller than her.

’You reap what you sow.’ That phrase described her perfectly. This wasn’t making trouble for others; this was poking a hornet’s nest.

When it came to "good deeds" like this, the first person she thought of was the Regent King.

But the Regent King would surely work her to the bone, so she summoned Prime Minister Song and Grand Tutor Xu as well.

Four people, a mountain of paperwork in front of each. ’Perfectly fair.’

The four of them sat at their respective desks, the stacked documents piled so high they could barely see one another. Only the attending eunuchs could be seen scurrying back and forth with various papers, turning the Imperial Study Room into a chaotic marketplace.

Xiao Yang reviewed the documents, her face expressionless, her will to live slowly draining away.

Just then, a eunuch announced from outside, "Your Majesty, Princess Suiyi requests an audience. She says she has brought a nourishing soup to help Your Majesty recuperate."

Xiao Yang had no desire to drink any soup, but she’d take any excuse to slack off, even for a moment.

"Take her to a side hall."

Xiao Yang went over and saw that it wasn’t just Xiao Suiyi, but Xie Liuzheng as well.

"You must be tired, Brother. Please, have some soup."

Xiao Suiyi brought the soup forward. She served it with a silver spoon, and a nearby eunuch had already tested it for poison.

Xiao Yang took a perfunctory sip. "You’re very thoughtful. The weather is getting colder, so be sure to take care of yourself. If you need anything, just tell Nanny Yang."

The Empress Dowager was in charge of palace affairs, but Xiao Yang doubted she would be kind to this girl of mysterious origins.

Xiao Suiyi’s eyes turned red. "Thank you, Brother."

Xie Liuzheng watched from the side as the pair of fake siblings had their touching family moment. When they were done, she finally stated her purpose for being there. "Your Majesty, the new year is only twenty days away. I wish to return home to celebrate. I beg for Your Majesty’s permission."

All she wanted was to get out of the Imperial Palace. Life here was dreadfully boring.

’I want to go home! Home!’

System: "What about your mission, then?"

Xie Liuzheng couldn’t be bothered. "I’m not in a rush. We can talk about it after the new year."

Of course, Xie Liuzheng hadn’t forgotten about her mission. She had tried to get close to Rong Yin during this period, but the man ignored her completely, avoiding her like the plague the moment he spotted her from afar.

She would have liked to orchestrate some sort of "accidental," romantic encounter, but the Imperial Palace wasn’t her home. Security was getting tighter by the day, leaving her unable to do anything.

She didn’t have to worry about food or drink, but her life was no different from being in prison. All she wanted now was to leave the palace.

Unfortunately, Xiao Yang would not let her go.

"The new year is indeed a major affair, and I can’t stop a family from reuniting."

Xie Liuzheng nodded eagerly. "Exactly, exactly! Your Majesty is truly wise."

Xiao Yang continued, "I shall immediately issue a decree summoning your parents to the capital. By my calculations, they should arrive in time for the New Year’s banquet. And once they’re here, it will be the perfect opportunity to discuss your marriage to the Regent King."

Xie Liuzheng’s smile froze on her face. "...Your Majesty, there’s really no need to go to all this trouble..."

Xiao Yang replied, "It’s a simple matter of a decree."

Xie Liuzheng’s mouth twitched. She was speechless. ’So am I supposed to thank her for this?’

Xiao Yang turned to Xiao Suiyi. "Can you read?"

Xiao Suiyi nodded obediently. "Yes, I can."

Xiao Yang asked, "What are your skills?"

Xiao Suiyi replied, "Brother, I am well-read in the classics, I know some mathematics, and I can also play the qin and do needlework."

Xiao Yang raised an eyebrow. "She taught you quite well."

The "she" she referred to was Consort Hui, now known as Hu Shuren.

Xiao Suiyi’s face paled slightly, and she lowered her head in silence.

She knew she was an impostor, but on paper, she was Hu Shuren’s daughter. Regardless of how Hu Shuren treated her, the woman had indeed raised her, and her education had been arranged by her as well.

Xiao Yang had only been asking casually, mainly as an excuse to procrastinate and avoid her work.

But she hadn’t expected to overhear Xie Liuzheng’s inner commentary.

’Taught her well, my ass! That Xiao Suiyi is just a hard-luck case. Her birth mother was killed by Consort Hui right after she was born, and she was forced to become a stand-in for a Prince. Consort Hui barely paid her any mind; everything she knows was taught to her by a nanny who took pity on her. Consort Hui even made people feed her medicine that damaged her health just to maintain a frail and sickly appearance. That was the only way to flawlessly deceive the Empress Dowager’s spies.’

’In the original version of the story, on the very day the male lead seized Imperial Power, she was cut down with a single slash. Her body was wrapped in a mat and dumped in a mass grave. Just like her mother, she died without anyone ever knowing.’

Xiao Yang listened, her expression unchanging, her heart completely unmoved. She never pitied others for their fates.